Hawaii Five-0: Ho'okipa
by A Rhea King
Summary: While in pursuit of men working for an arms dealer, Danny goes missing. When they find him hidden by a homeless teenager, the team suspects she may be working with the arms dealer. But as they dig into her past, and pursue more leads, they find her relation to the arms dealer is darker than they could imagine.
1. Chapter 1

**Hawaii Five-0**  
**"Ho`okipa"**  
By A. Rhea King

_Chapter 1_

**Rain Forest**  
**Pu'upe'ahinai'a Trail**

Wind howled through the trees. Branches cracked and groaned. The rain had begun twenty minutes ago, a tease hiding a rare peek at Mother Nature's rage she was about to let loose on the fiftieth state.

Danny didn't realize he was alone until he looked back to yell at Steve that they needed to head back before things got worse.

And discovered no one was behind him.

Danny was alone in TAC gear, with two killers somewhere in the rain forest and a hurricane blowing in from the south. He stopped to check the GPS on his phone so he could head back to the trailhead – and discovered it was dead.

As he tried to turn the device on, Danny muttered threats at Steve for getting him lost in the rain forest with a hurricane headed for the islands. He finally gave into the belief that the rain had destroyed the phone, and shoved it back in his pocket. There was nothing to do but to keep moving.

He froze.

Did he hear voices to his left?

Danny moved slowly toward them. With a crack of lightning and thunder, the sky opened with renewed intensity. Hard, heavy raindrops stun his skin. Water poured down his face and into his eyes, blurring his vision. He could hear the wind screaming through the trees as it thrashed tree limbs and bushes against him like whips

"This is… Why do I listen to him?" Danny muttered. "We have to catch them, he says. Steve, a hurricane will make landfall in an hour. We'll have them in an hour, he says. I ask how? He says trust me. Look where that's gotten me? Lost. In the rain forest. Wet and…"

Danny gasped when pain shot through his back, up and down his side. The pain nearly immobilizing him. He turned, seeing a man in the rain. He willed himself to lift his rifle and found the movement made each breath even more painful. The man charged. Danny fired at him but missed.

The man tackled him to the ground. The pain seared across Danny's back and side. He grabbed for the pain, finding a handle. Danny yanked the knife from his back and went after the man with it. The two wrestled in the mud and rain and wind. Somewhere in the midst of it, Danny lost his FLAC vest and sidearm. The man suddenly rolled off into the foliage.

Danny staggered back onto his feet and tried to run in the opposite direction. He ducked when something whistled past his head and spun around. The man was aiming his own sidearm at Danny.

Danny got one shot off with the rifle and then it jammed. He muttered curses, trying to free it.

He gasped when a burning sensation tore through his chest. He came to a standstill and looked down. The rain wicked blood from the gunshot wound down his shirt. Danny's head began to spin and he watched the jungle swirl into colors. He tried to walk. He lost his footing and fell, rolling down a hill. His roll stopped in tall grass next to a chain link fence.

Danny reached up, trying to pull himself up. His grip slipped and he sank back in the grass, staring up at the darkening sky overhead.

**Shantytown**  
**Pu'upe'ahinai'a Trail**

"Hey," someone said. "Hey, wake up. Come on. Wake up."

Danny opened his eyes and found the pain in his back and chest were real. He had been shot and stabbed, rolled down a hill, and was lying in the rain forest as a hurricane charged across O'ahu.

His eyes found a movement and then a dark figure leaned over him. His heart skipped with fear – what if it was…

"Are you awake?" she asked.

It was female – not the man who had tried to kill him. Her face hid in the darkness of a gray hood. He felt a hand wrap around his upper arm with a gentle but firm grip.

"Roll under the fence," she ordered, giving his arm a light push toward the fence.

He looked at the fence. There was a small space underneath it, just high enough to roll underneath the fence. Danny rolled under, making his chest and back pain flare. The female climbed under and got to her feet. She grabbed his arm again, tugging up.

"You have to help me. I'm not Superman, here," the female urged him.

Danny let her help him to his feet. He leaned hard on them and used his rifle as a cane. The world was swirling around him. Each breath felt like his lungs were ripping apart.

"One foot in front of the other," she told him. "There you go."

He didn't feel like he was moving, but she didn't order him to move more. Then they were going in and out of buildings until they entered one. There was a blur of faces, campfires, assorted tents and shanty houses. The female led him into one shanty house and the world stopped moving. He realized he was staring at the ceiling of the house – no, that was too high. He was so confused and hurt too much to sort this out.

Danny closed his eyes…


	2. Chapter 2

_Chapter 2_

**Command Center**  
**Pu'upe'ahinai'a Trailhead**

Steve trotted into the mobile command center, pulling the door shut behind him. He turned, finding people hastily packing up things. At the far end, Chin was on a computer. Steve pushed his way back to him.

Chin looked up when he stopped next to him.

"We're pulling out. It's not safe to stay in this trailer until the hurricane passes," Steve told him.

"I can't find Danny."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean no one has seen him since you two went out. His phone is going straight to voicemail and the GPS on his phone went dead. This was the last place the GPS reported from." Chin pointed to a red dot on a topographical map on the computer.

Steve was worried, but he couldn't ask anyone to stay in this trailer right now.

"We have to go, Chin. As soon as we can, we'll start searching there."

"He's never been through a hurricane, Steve. Even if does downgrade to category one by the time it hits O'ahu, he won't know what to do."

Steve nodded. "Danny's smart and we cannot stay on this mountain when it hits. If he gets back here before we do, the restrooms are hurricane safe structures. He'll be safe."

"Then I'm staying in the restrooms. I'm not leaving."

"Neither am I," Kono said.

Steve looked at her, and then the eyes of the officers watching him. Their expressions told him they did not have the same devotion or passion to wait out a hurricane on a mountainside as his team had.

"Okay. Five-0 will stay. As soon as this storm passes, guys, get back up here," Steve told the officers. "Kono and Chin, grab some camping gear. It's going to be a long twenty-four hours."

Kono and Chin did as ordered, preparing to wait out a hurricane in a bathroom.

**Lux's Shanty**  
**Pu'upe'ahinai'a**

Danny opened his eyes, staring at the ceiling far above. He realized this shanty house was inside a much larger building and that he was cold. Someone moved near him and he looked down. His shirt was unbuttoned and open, and his undershirt was cut open. The female in the gray hoodie was leaning over him, taping bandages on his side. Her long brown hair hung over one shoulder, almost touching his stomach and hiding her face.

"Where am I?" Danny whispered.

"My place. Nice nap?"

Danny smiled a little. "Yeah."

She pulled his shirt back down and moved up to his shoulder. He winced when she began working the bandage off.

He saw her face now. She was a teenager, probably close to eighteen. She had an average appearance at this age. However, his trained eye could see the beautiful, attractive woman she would blossom into over the next few years. She frequently chewed on the bottom of her fully ruddy lips and her chocolate brown eyes focused on the work she was doing. She had dark tan skin from being in the sun often and it brought out a few freckles across her nose and cheeks.

"The bullet didn't go through. The wound in your back must have nicked something cuz you won't stop bleeding," she told him. "You have a good concussion and you are covered in deep cuts and nasty looking bruises. What did you do? Wrestle a bear?"

"There's no bears on Hawaii."

"Could be."

"There are no bears on Hawaii."

"Might be."

Danny smiled a little. "Maybe I did."

She smiled. "You're not hurt. Now you're trying to tell me there's bears on Hawaii!"

Danny smiled a little more. "That wasn't fair."

She scoffed. "Fair is overrated."

She finished and buttoned his shirt back up. She picked up a bottle of water and with her help, he drank most of the bottle.

"There," she said. "Now you can go back to sleep." She pulled a couple tattered blankets around him, tucking it under his shoulder and arms. Warmth slowly began seeping in.

"What's your name?" he asked her.

"Lux."

"I'm Danny."

"I know. I hid your rifle, wallet, and badge. You wouldn't exactly be welcome here."

"I need a hospital."

She ran her fingers through his hair a couple times. Her cool skin felt good against his fevered forehead.

"I know," she told him, "but no one's going to come here in a hurricane. Once this passes, I'll… I'll figure something out. Until then, just relax and don't move much. Okay?"

"Deal."

"Hey, can I take two bucks out so I can make some soup?"

He was surprised she even asked, so he nodded.

"Get some sleep. I'll keep it warm until you wake up again." She was gone before he could say anything.

Danny closed his eyes and passed out.

**Rain Forest**  
**Pu'upe'ahinai'a Trailhead**

After a long, nearly sleepless night, Kono, Chin, and Steve emerged from the park bathrooms. Trees had toppled. Branches, palm fronds, and other debris littered the ground. Someone was missing the door wrapped around a nearby tree. Steve lifted his radio and keyed the mic.

"McGarrett to dispatch."

He waited.

"Dispatch," a woman replied.

"When can we expect search and rescue at the Pu'upe'ahinai'a trailhead?"

There was a pause. "Three hours. The road is blocked."

"The sooner the better. McGarrett out."

"We can start searching on our own," Chin said.

Steve nodded, shouldering his tactical rifle on one shoulder. He secured his radio and checked his gun. Chin pulled out a portable GPS tracker and pulled up a red mark.

"The last known location was about four miles up the trail. It's going to be a climb if the damage is as bad in there as it is here."

Steve nodded. "Let's get moving then."

The three headed up the trail in search of their missing friend and officer.

**Lux's Shanty**  
**Pu'upe'ahinai'a**

The smell of something cooking was the first sense Danny had followed by awareness of sounds. He heard people talking, somewhere there were people shouting, metal clinked, and there was the sound of wind howling. He opened his eyes, finding his mouth dry. He needed to use the restroom but the thought of moving made his head hurt.

Lux appeared next to him again, wiping his face with a damp rag. It felt good on his burning skin.

"I…" His thoughts were scattered and he had difficulty focusing.

"Shhh. Just relax."

"Help. I need help."

"I know. It stopped raining a little bit ago. I'll leave first thing in the morning."

He almost nodded.

"I got some meat and made a broth. Do you want some?"

He barely nodded.

She left his side and returned with a metal cup. Lux sat down and gently moved behind him, resting his head on her leg. She lifted the warm cup to his lips and gave him sips. Danny shook his head half way through.

"Full?"

"I need… Restroom."

"Oh. Uhm… We don't really… Have… that. We use the rain forest."

"We?"

"The other homeless here."

"I have to go."

"Okay. Give me a minute."

She moved away. He closed his eyes, thinking she was gone. His heart stammered when a hand touched his shoulder. She lifted him up and laid him back against her.

"You can't go out in your clothes. People will know you aren't homeless. I got a T-shirt and you'll have to lose the belt. I have a rock here to scuff up your shoes."

"I like these shoes."

"Too bad."

"We're not scuffing up—"

"Someone shot you, Danny, and it's probably the same jerks who terrorize us. They shoot people if they look sideways at them. Please, just trust me? Please?"

Danny didn't answer.

"Danny?"

"Give me… A minute."

She waited. He realized now that this teenager was probably risking her life to help him, especially if the people she was talking about were the same ones Five-0 had been after. He slowly nodded.

"Okay?"

He nodded.

She helped him out of his shirt and undershirt and pulled on a worn and stained T-shirt. She laid him down and went to work on his shoes. With his clothes changed and shoes scuffed, Lux helped him onto his feet and the two went through the curtain. They walked along an alley to the wall of the building they were in and down to a door lightly banging open and close. She led him outside into blowing rain and through a hole in the fence into the rain forest.

"Tell me when," Lux said.

"Here. The tree."

She leaned him against the tree.

"I'm going to go over there and turn around. Call me when you're done."

Danny nodded and felt her leave him. He had to grab the tree with both hands to keep from falling over…

Lux pulled the hood of her hoodie around her head and then put her hands under her armpits. She waited and waited and waited.

"Are you done?" she called.

He didn't answer.

She looked back. She didn't see Danny.

"Danny?"

She turned and took a step toward where she left him.

"Are you done? You need to get back where's it's dry."

He didn't answer. She took another step and saw movement. Danny slowly maneuvered around the tree. He leaned on it, resting his forehead against the trunk. Lux walked up and slid an arm around him.

"I need a hospital," he almost whispered.

"I know."

"There was blood."

"I can't go through the rain forest in the dark, Danny. I'll go as soon as I can, I promise."

The two slipped unnoticed back into her shack. Danny began shivering as soon as he was laying down. She grabbed piled more tattered blankets on him. She used a towel to dry his face and dry his hair.

"I can't die here," Danny whispered.

"Wife?"

"Grace. I have… To get back… To Grace."

"You're daughter?"

He passed out before he could answer.

**Rain Forest**  
**Pu'upe'ahinai'a Trail**

The three were wet and tired from tromping through the mud, but refused to say anything or turn back. Chin looked at his phone. "Last signal is another quarter mile ahead."

"How did he get this far?" Kono asked.

"He must have been following someone. He wouldn't have gone this far without a reason," Steve said, more to reassure himself.

He was actually wondering why Danny would have gone this far too. Maybe he became turned around or lost. Steve was feeling guilty for not listening to him for once and waiting for the storm to pass.

**Shantytown**  
**Pu'upe'ahinai'a**

Lux walked through the market the homeless had created. It was at the center of their shantytown and most anything you could want was found there. Barter was accepted, but money had to be used to buy the expensive stuff like soap and toothbrushes. The food was plentiful though. Before the gun smugglers showed up, they had a harvested the gardens behind the building. The smugglers set the gardens on fire in a drunken stupor, but many of the plants were starting to come back. Sometimes there was meat, usually there wasn't. She used two dollars of Danny's to buy a basket full of vegetables.

Lux walked to another vendor and handed him Danny's watch.

"I need Advil or something."

He handed her a tiny bottle.

"That's it?" she asked.

"I don't give more for stolen watches."

She opened the bottle and stared at the four round white pills inside. "What is it?"

He leaned over the counter. "Percocet. Men who get shot need some real pain killers." He winked at her.

Lux smiled. "Thanks, Gary." She walked off with her vegetables and Percocet.

Back in her shanty, she built a fire in the cut off barrel she used to cook on and placed the grimy grill rack over the top. She sat a worn pot on it and poured in some water. She tossed in some vegetables and then walked over to sit next to Danny. Lux rubbed his arm, getting a reaction as his fingers fluxed. He opened his eyes some.

"Got some good stuff here," she said. "Not exactly a hospital, but…"

She turned her head when she heard shouting. Lux capped the bottle and pocketed it. She walked to the curtain door and looked outside. Down the alley, she could see people running. A gun went off.

"Oh no," she whispered.

"What?" Danny asked.

"The men are here." She looked down at him, then around her shanty. "I gotta hide you somewhere. They'll kill you."

"Give me my gun."

"Right. Cuz you have enough strength to hold a rifle and fire it right now. Let's be real about this."

Danny wanted to argue but the truth was right there. She dashed across her shack and pulled boxes of clothes away from the wall. She dashed back to him.

"Come on. Up, up." She grabbed his arm.

Gritting his teeth from pain Danny got to his feet. She walked him over to the space she'd made and laid him down.

"Here," she said, pulling the Percocet back out and held it in front of his mouth. "This will help the pain."

He didn't take it. They heard more gunshots. Lux looked away anxiously and then back at him.

"What's it going to be?" she asked him.

He opened his mouth. She dropped the pill in and helped him drink water to wash it down. She quickly covered him with clothes and blankets, pushing the boxes around him. Lux grabbed the bloody blanket that had been on top of him and ripped it to pieces. She dropped the pieces in the fire and then spread the other blankets over the bloodstains on the mattress.

Lux just got back to the pot of vegetables to stir it when the curtain flew open. She stared at the man that stepped in. He had a scar from his check to his neck, jagged from a bad stich up. He pushed the curtain back and another man came in followed by two more who looked just as sour as the first. The man in front was a tall, lean Asian, wearing tailored Western cut clothes. He looked around her shanty before setting his eyes on her, and smiled.

"Lux," he said as if they were friends.

"Mr. Choi."

"How many times have I told you to call me Seung?"

She didn't answer.

"I'm looking for something, honey," he walked over to her, laying his hand on her neck.

She tensed but didn't try to pull away.

"I'm looking for a man. He was shot and stabbed, I believe. His trail ends outside the fence on the north side."

She didn't answer. Choi leaned in, pulling her close to him.

"Lux… Tell Seung where he is."

She shook her head. "What are you talking about?"

"I know you. You have a heart of gold. If you found someone hurt like that, even one of my men, you'd try to take care of him. So tell Seung, where is this man?"

"I haven't seen anyone shot or stabbed since last week."

He smiled, giving her a little jog with his arm. "Honey, don't lie to me."

"Why would I lie to you?"

He smiled, kissing her cheek. She turned her head.

"You don't deserve this, honey. You should come live with me. I would take real good care of you."

She pulled away and turned back to her soup. He leaned over her shoulder, laying his hand on her back.

"When I get tired of this game, it will be my way, Lux."

"Then it won't be as fun, will it?" she said.

Seung laughed. His men laughed. He stopped. His men stopped. He kissed her shoulder where her shirt dipped away.

"You make a good point." He grabbed her hand with the spoon and turned it so he could scoop some hot liquid out of the pan. He lifted it to his lips to taste it and then let her hand go.

"Needs salt."

"I don't have salt."

He turned to his men. "I know one of you had fast food."

A man stepped forward, handing him three packets of salt. He opened them and dumped them in the pot. Seung wrapped his arms around her, talking against her ear.

"If you see a man shot and stabbed, a policeman, you tell me, Lux. I'll give you more than just three packets of salt for your soup. I'll give you a house, and clothes, and everything you could ever want."

"I'd still say no."

He chuckled, kissing the exposed skin of her shoulder. "You are hard headed. That's why I am so into you."

"And not that I'm sixteen?"

"That has something to do with it, I'm sure." With one more kiss on her neck, he left with his men.

Lux froze and listened. They terrorized her neighbors before their voices faded away. She stepped back from the barrel and smacked at the spot he'd kissed.

"Asshole!" she spat at the door.

She turned and dug the clothes off Danny. He was sound asleep. She smiled, patting his shoulder.

"Sleep makes things happen faster, doesn't it?" she asked the sleeping officer.

Lux covered him with blankets and left the boxes around him to keep him hidden. She went back to making her soup.


	3. Chapter 3

_Chapter 3_

**Rain Forest**  
**Pu'upe'ahinai'a Trail**

The Five-0 stopped, staring at the dead man. Chin reached down and pulled the pistol from his hands. It took some effort since the man was still in rigor.

After a close examination, it told Kono and Steve, "This is Danny's."

Steve felt even more guilt now. Danny wouldn't have left his sidearm in this criminals hands; something bad happened that kept him from getting it back. Steve pulled his radio out and keyed the mic. "McGarrett to headquarters."

"Go ahead," a woman at dispatch responded.

"We're about five miles to the west of the Pu'upe'ahinai'a trailhead. There's a corpse out here. We're going to continue searching for Williams."

"Copy. We'll redirect a unit to the area to wait for a coroner."

The three walked along the trail.

"It's hard to tell what damage was from a struggle or the hurricane," Steve said.

Kono walked ahead, looking into the underbrush with a flashlight. She turned and stopped.

"Guys, there are buildings at the bottom of the slope, and people."

The men joined her. There were several buildings surrounded by a high fence that looked newer than anything it kept inside. The buildings were old and a few looked like another hurricane would be the end of them. The rain forest was trying to claim the land inside the fence but it hadn't won against the human population.

Chin said, "They looks like storage buildings from an old sugar cane plantation."

"Whatever they are, they are old," Kono added.

Steve didn't care. If Danny found this place, he would have gone to it for shelter.

"Let's get backup and find Danny," Steve said.

The two looked at him, surprised he didn't want to raid the place with just the three of them.

"That's a lot of people," Steve said, nodding at the dozens of people he saw. "We're too outnumbered to do this alone."

They didn't disagree with that observation. The three headed back.

**Shantytown**  
**Pu'upe'ahinai'a Trail**

Lux wrung out a rag in a bowl of water. Blood ran from the rag, turning the water bright red. She wiped off the stab wound on Danny's back again and then used a clean rag to dry it. She picked up a bandage with a poultice on it and taped it down over the wound. She emptied the water in a bucket and poured fresh water in it, and then moved to his shoulder to clean the bullet wound.

Her head jerked up when she heard shouting.

"So soon?" she whispered.

She quickly bandaged the wound and hid Danny again. She moved over to her bed and sat down, picking up a book. She settled into her usual spot, staring at the page. She heard more shouting and screams and clattering – but no gunshots. She lifted her head, listening for them to start. Footsteps came down the alley and she heard gruff voices order people out of their shacks. She jumped when the curtain of her shack flung back and stared at the man dressed in police tactical gear.

"Get up," he ordered, waiving his gun at her. "Get out here."

She didn't have time to obey. He grabbed her arm and hauled her to her feet, marching her down the alley with him. She was pushed in with her neighbors and the other homeless from the building. She watched a man get up on some crates and hold up his phone, showing a picture to the crowd.

"We are looking for this man. We want him. Now I know someone here has seen him and someone here can tell me about him. There is a reward for information that leads us to him, only information that leads us to him."

Lux saw Gary turn and search the crowd until he found her. He casually looked away but she knew the mention of reward was going to cause her problems.

#

Kono moved to the next person. "You said you had something?" she asked.

He nodded. "I know where the guy is."

"Really?" She'd had twelve false leads so far, what was one more?

"See that teenager over there. She found the guy you're looking for and took him to her place. She probably stole everything he had too."

Kono looked in the direction he nodded. There were several teenagers among the homeless.

"Which one?"

"The girl in the gray coat, Lux."

"She knows where he is?"

"I told you. She brought him here. Probably killed and eatin' him. Hasn't asked for meat since she brought him here two days ago."

Kono sauntered over to the girl. The girl sat on a pile of rocks, idly tossing one rock at a time down the pile.

"My name is Kono," she said.

"Good for you," the girl told her.

Kono crouched down, looking up at the girl. The girl glanced at her but was careful not to make eye contact.

"Do you know where he is?" She showed a picture of Danny.

"Nope."

Kono looked at the picture. "He has a daughter who is really worried about him."

"That's sad." The girl didn't sound sad.

"We found him!" someone yelled.

Kono saw a fleeting wince on the girl's face but she made no other movement. Kono followed the trail of officers to a shack at the back of the building. She found Steve kneeling next to Danny, trying to wake him up. Danny was the color of ash and there was a rasp with each breath. He was in a T-shirt that had bloodstains on it.

"Paramedics are here. They're coming in," an officer informed Steve

"Danny?" Steve said, taking his hand. "Danny, wake up. Look at me."

He didn't wake up. She glanced over at Chin. He had uncovered Danny's badge, shotgun, and wallet.

The paramedics moved people out of the way and in a flurry, they had him on the gurney, an I.V. started, and were rushing out of the shack. Steve didn't follow.

"Go with him, Chin," Steve said.

"You're not going?"

"I want to find out who was hiding him in this shack. They _will not_ get away with this."

Chin left. Kono stepped in front of Steve when he took a step toward the door.

"You don't know the whole story," Kono pointed out. "You don't know why he was hidden here."

"He barely has a pulse, Kono!"

"But there might be more to this than meets the eye. I'm just saying… I think you need to let me handle this."

"What?"

"I think you need to go with your best friend and you need to let me handle this."

Steve started to argue.

"Please, Steve, I have… I have gut feeling here. I just think there's more to this and I'm upset, I am, but not as much as you are."

Steve gave in and left. Kono looked around the shack, looking for something personal. She found a tattered book hidden under the mattress that was a journal. She marched out to the group of homeless and held up the book.

"Who does this belong to?" Kono said.

No one answered.

"I asked who this belongs to."

Still no answer.

"Oh. Well, since this doesn't belong to anyone, then I can read what's in here out loud." She flipped the book open, finding the last entry. "Let's start at the end as I'm sure this person wrote lots of interesting things about many of you here." Kono cleared her throat to begin reading.

"Mine," she heard a soft voice say. "It's… You don't… That's mine."

She turned, staring at the teenager.

"Arrest her," Kono ordered. "This book was stolen, still has the price tag. Go through this entire warehouse and arrest everyone else who has possession of stolen property."

The girl started to say something but stopped.

The officer nearest Kono leaned in. "What are you doing?"

"Working a hunch. Do as I said," Kono told him.

He shrugged a little and then motioned the others to do as Kono ordered.

**Hospital**  
**Honolulu**

Steve looked up when Grace sat down next to him. He watched her sit back in her chair and stare at the floor.

"How are you holding up, Grace?" he asked her.

She shrugged.

He sat back, putting his arms across the back of the chairs. Grace curled up next to him in the chair, laying her head on his chest.

"Why is it taking so long?" she asked.

Steve put his arm around her. "Danno was hurt pretty bad, Grace. It's going to take some time."

"I heard you tell a policeman that someone was hiding Danno. Why would they do that?"

"I don't know, honey. There's a lot I don't know yet, but when I find out, I'll tell you."

"Promise?"

"Yes."

She didn't say anything else.

**Five-0 Headquarters**  
**Honolulu**

Kono stared at the screen overhead, reading a document. She heard someone walk up behind her.

"Is Steve still at the hospital?" Catherine asked.

"Yeah. Danny's still in surgery, so he's staying with Grace."

"I heard you have a suspect in custody."

"Suspect?" Kono turned.

"A teenager who was hiding Danny from you guys."

Kono frowned, shaking her head. "I don't think she's a suspect."

"I was told you found him in her shack, buried under clothes."

Kono shook her head again. "That's the thing… I think she didn't _trust_ us and was protecting him, not hiding him."

Catherine smiled a little from confusion. "He's an officer and—"

"Look…" Kono pulled up photographs onto another screen. She walked around to stand in front of them and Catherine joined her. "These are photographs of the girl's shack." Kono pointed at a bowl. "Bloody rags; she was keeping his wounds clean. He wasn't buried either, he was hidden behind boxes. Now," Kono turned to her. "Near him was hidden his badge, wallet, and shotgun, only his watch was missing. Which we found on a merchant who had a lot of stolen goods and told us the girl traded it for Percocet. I think she was protecting him. We came storming in there and she didn't feel she could trust us."

"Why would she do that?"

"I don't know." Kono said, looking back at the document.

"What is that?"

"Her emancipation paperwork. Her parents died last year and left her a massive estate. She filed for emancipation when she turned sixteen, claiming her aunt was trying to steal her inheritance and poison her. Three months later, she's living in a shanty town and the only thing I can find in her name is this." Kono flicked a document from the table to an overhead screen.

Catherine walked over to the screen and tried to read it. "What is this?"

"A very old deed to some very old land. I assume inherited from a great relative."

Catherine moved closer. "Is the last name… Is that van Johans?" She turned to Kono.

Kono nodded. "Yes. She is Alexandria van Johans, daughter of billionaire Keiv van Johans."

"The same Keiv van Johans that was killed in a car accident with his wife last year?"

"The same. The case is open, but cold. There are no leads, just evidence that the brake line was tampered with."

"By the aunt?"

Kono shrugged one shoulder. "It was burned so bad there wasn't any evidence, so if it was, there's no way to tell."

Catherine's phone began ringing and she answered it. "Hey Steve." She smiled a little. "That's good news. Keep us updated." Catherine hung up. "Danny's out of surgery and in recovery. They said he's lost a lot of blood and is weak, but his doctor were able to get the bullet out and he should recover." Catherine's mouth twisted for a moment.

"What?" Kono asked.

"His doctor said it could have been much worse. He told Steve that the poultice used on the bandages was a native concoction that native women pass down to their daughters and they never share the recipe outside the family. It saved Danny's life by slowing the bleeding and keeping the wounds clean."

"I told you." Kono said with a smile.

"She still has some explaining to do. Like why she didn't call for help."

Kono agreed.

**Five-0 Interrogation Room**  
**Honolulu**

Lux sat in the interrogation room, staring at the drain under her shoe toe. She moved her foot off and on it, watching bits of sand roll down the holes. She stopped moving when the door opened but didn't look up. The person walked over to a table on her right and sat down on it.

"You are Alexandria van Johans."

She slowly looked up. The policewoman from the shantytown sat on the table. Lux looked back at the drain, slowly rubbing the toe of her sneaker over the grate. Kono smiled, watching her.

"What happened after you were emancipated, Alexandria? How did you end up in a shanty town, homeless, and broke?"

She didn't answer. Kono stood up and walked over to her, watching her shoe.

"We know you saved Danny's life."

The only reaction was she stopped moving her shoe. Kono crouched down, but didn't try to make eye contact.

"Did your mother or grandmother teach you how to make the poultice that saved him?"

Lux didn't answer.

"You aren't in trouble, Alexandria, and you can trust me. You helped my friend, Danny, and I want to help you. You kept him warm and even bought Percocet for his pain. You were doing everything you could to keep him alive. I want to return the favor."

Lux didn't speak.

"Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe you didn't do this out of the kindness of your heart. What was in it for you?" Kono laid her hand on Lux's arm.

Lux sneered, shoving her hand off.

"Okay. But you aren't going anywhere until I get some answers from you." Kono headed for the door.

She half hoped the girl would say stop or wait or okay – anything. Instead, she got out of the room and the door closed, without one word from the teen. She sighed. What was keeping this girl silent?

**Hospital**  
**Honolulu**

Steve jerked his head up when he heard Danny mutter something. He glanced over at Gracie; she was asleep in the recliner. He got up and stepped up to the bed, laying a hand on Danny's shoulder.

"Lux," Danny muttered.

"Danny, it's Steve."

He didn't seem to hear and called for Lux again.

"Danny," Steve said.

His eyes slowly opened and he stared at Steve for a long minute.

"Where's… Lux?" Danny asked.

"Danny, it's Steve. I—"

"I know… you. Where's… Lux?"

"Whose Lux?"

"Teenager. She was… Where?"

"Brunette, in a gray coat?"

Danny nodded once.

"She's at the precinct being questioned."

"She's… Good kid."

"She had you hidden in her shack in a shanty town, Danny."

"Protecting."

Steve shook his head. "She wasn't protecting you. She wouldn't even tell us you were there. An officer found you when he searched the place."

"Good… Kid… Steve." Danny winced. "Protected… Her."

"Protect her from what?"

Danny slipped back into unconsciousness, whispering, "Save her."

"Who's he talking about?" Grace asked.

Steve turned. She was standing right behind him with her blanket wrapped around her.

"I don't know."

"He wanted you to save her."

"He's hurting, honey. He doesn't—"

"Danno knows what he said, Uncle Steve. He wants you to save someone. Who?"

Steve smiled and guided her back to the recliner. "Go back to sleep, Grace. I'm going to get some coffee. I'll be right back."

Grace obeyed. Steve walked out into the hall and pulled his cell phone out. He dialed Kono.

"Kono, tell me about this girl? Does she have a background or—" He listened to what she said. "Repeat that?"


	4. Chapter 4

_Chapter 4_

**Five-0 Interrogation Room**  
**Honolulu**

Steve walked into the interrogation room with a drink and sack of food in hand. He found Lux sitting in a corner, hugging her arms. Steve walked over and sat the sack and drink down.

"I didn't know what you liked so pick off what you don't like," he said.

She glanced down at the sack and looked away, resting her head against the wall. Steve turned the chair in the center of the room around and sat down, watching her.

"Danny called you Lux."

She lifted her head a little, but didn't look at him.

"We thought you were hiding him, and then we thought you were keeping him for someone, and then we thought there was something in it for you. A few hours ago he woke up and the way he talked about you, I think…" Steve leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "Now we think you did for no reason at all. But we can't wrap our heads around it, Lux. I mean, you brought a cop into the shantytown and that cannot be safe for you. Why would you take that risk for someone you don't even know?"

She closed her eyes, resting her head against the wall.

"Okay, let's try a different topic. What happened to all your money, Lux? You inherited 1.2 billion dollars. Did you spend _all_ of that money?"

She didn't answer.

"Come on, Lux. Things just aren't adding up here. Why would Danny tell me to protect you? What or who are we protecting you from?"

She turned most of her back to him, huddling into the corner so he couldn't see her face. Steve stood up, putting his hands on his hips.

"You cannot stay silent forever, and I cannot protect you if I don't know what or who I'm protecting you from."

That didn't get him anywhere. She continued to remain mute.

"Fine. Okay. But you aren't leaving until you give me some answers, Alexandria." Steve walked out of the room.

Kono and Chin were waiting in the hall.

Steve told Kono, "You're right, Kono, that girl is scared. I want you to dig into her past some more and see if there aren't more answers about her inheritance, how she ended up homeless, and I want to speak to this aunt of her's. Chin and I will continue tracking down the arms dealer."

She headed back to the office. Chin and Steve headed back out to follow leads that the hurricane had sidelined.

**Five-0 Headquarters**  
**Honolulu**

Steve walked into the office, finding Kono in her office reading something on her tablet. He walked in and sat down on the couch.

"Any luck?" he asked her.

"Not as much as I'd hoped. After her parents died, the only documents I've found so far is her birth certificate, her emancipation papers, and a deed to some land. But the deed is from 1896 and I'm having a hard time locating exactly where on the island it is. All I know is that it belonged to her great-great-great uncle and passed on to her great-grandfather, her father, and down to her. I called in a favor with the state geological department; with any luck, I might be able to tell you the GPS coordinates by tomorrow afternoon. As for her aunt, she's in Belize and strangely, she has a very healthy bank account worth almost 1.7 billion."

"She stole the girl's inheritance," Steve speculated.

"It would appear that way. I'm working on an extradition on grounds of theft, embezzlement, and fraud. I'll let you know if I get anywhere on that. As for Alexandria van Johans, she just disappears after her emancipation. She has no digital trail – if she weren't homeless, I'd find that odd for a teenager. Did you have any luck?"

"No." He sat in a chair and sighed. "Have you checked on her?"

Kono nodded. "I had a cot brought up and last I checked she was asleep. I can only guess what this poor kid's been through, Steve. There is no way she burned through that much money – something happened."

"Danny's been awake some. Maybe I should take her to see him. That might open her up."

She gave him a knowing smile. "Oh? She's not out to kill him now?"

Steve just shook his head. "Let's see."

The two got up and went to get Lux.

**Hospital**  
**Honolulu**

Catherine looked up when the room door opened. She smiled when Steve came in. Grace was sitting in the recliner still, coloring something on her lap. Pictures of well wishes, rainbows, and stick figure people smiling at Danny decorated the walls.

"Hey," Catherine said.

"Hey. Why don't you and Grace go grab something to eat?"

She stared at him a moment but then smiled, nodding. She stood, holding her hand out to Grace. The girl sat her work on a counter and grabbed her hand. The two left the room, passing Kono and Lux. Catherine and Kono exchanged a look. Kono pushed against Lux's back and she walked into the room. Steve held the door open for her.

Lux walked up to the bed, staring down at Danny. She reached down and carefully adjusted the bandage on his head so it was above his eyebrow. Danny opened his eyes, staring at her. She looked down, quickly putting both hands on the bed rail.

"Sorry," she told him.

He turned his hand over on the bed and slowly moved his fingers. She reached down and took his hand, looking up at his face.

Behind her, the door opened and someone jogged into the room. She heard someone whisper, "She forgot…"

"Thank you," Danny whispered.

She looked away, shaking her head a couple times.

"Hey," Danny said.

She looked at him again.

"You saved me."

She pulled her hand back. "Get better," she said and turned, running into Grace.

Grace didn't move, staring at Lux.

"Did you put the bandages on Danno when he was in the forest?"

"Who?"

"My dad." She pointed at Danny.

"Yeah."

Grace hugged her. "Thank you."

Lux held her arms up, looking almost terrified. She slowly relaxed her arms and laid her hands on the child's shoulders.

"Welcome," Lux told her.

Grace ran over to her notebook and brought a picture to Lux. "This is for you."

Lux slowly took the picture, staring at it. She looked down at Grace.

"Who are these people?" Lux asked.

Grace leaned over her arm. "You and Danno in the rain forest. You're putting a Band-Aid on his cut. See?"

Lux stared at the picture. Slowly she nodded. "I see that now."

Grace looked up at her. "Do you ever smile?"

Lux left the room. Grace watched the door, looking confused.

"Catch her," Steve quietly told Kono. "Wait at the car."

Kono ran after Lux.

"Monkey," Danny whispered.

Grace turned and walked over to the bed. He patted the bed next to him. She climbed up and laid down next to him.

"That was nice, monkey." He looked up at Steve. "When she's ready, bring her back to visit."

"Will do." Steve left to catch up to Kono and Lux.

**Five-0 Headquarters**  
**Honolulu**

Kono sorted through the files on her desk, going over them again. There was a connection in the papers, she was sure of it.

She glanced up when Lux shifted on the couch.

Kono brought Luc into her office and gave her a tablet so she could play some games. She was hoping that spending time in the same room might open her up. So far, she wasn't making any progress, and Lux hadn't touched the tablet. She just stared at the floor with her hands folded in her lap. Kono looked at the door when Chin opened it.

"Come take a look at this lead."

She followed him out to the computer table, watching what he pulled up. Chin looked up to speak and then looked around her. Kono turned. Lux was looking at the papers Kono had been pouring over. She sighed and walked back into her office. Lux immediately stepped away, looking at the floor.

"That is not for you to look at," Kono snapped.

Lux backed away when Kono was within arm's reach and avoided eye contact.

"Alexandria, we're trying to help you," Kono told her, "and I thought you'd like to get out of that room for a while, but I can't trust you—"

"Are you looking to connect all those people to Choi Seung?"

The question and Lux speaking surprised Kono.

"Yes. How'd you guess?"

"Aleia Group is one of his business fronts. Each of those people had one million dollars deposited in their accounts from the company."

Kono stared at her. She didn't turn away when her office door opened.

"What—" Chin began but she held up her hand to stop him.

"Let's start with the most obvious question, Lux. How do you know Choi Seung?"

Lux stared at her shoes, twining and untwining her fingers together. She slowly sighed.

"His men have been coming into the shantytown and… Doing things. For some reason he's taken an interest in me and two other teenagers there. Sometimes he doesn't take no for an answer, so I've been to his house."

Kono didn't press what happened at his house. Instead, she redirected the conversation. "I didn't see any deposits of one million dollars in the bank records, Lux."

"Over the last 30 days each of the people received large deposits from the company, and the total is one million each."

Kono went back to the records and did the math. She stood up, staring at her notepad. She sat it down, turning back to Lux.

"You're right. They did."

Kono took very slowly steps toward Lux, stopping when the girl stopped fidgeting. She reached out and laid a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry all of this happened to you, Lux."

That brought tears and suddenly she was in Kono's arms, bawling. Kono sat down on the couch with her, holding the girl.

"Kono, we need to know—" Chin began.

"I know, cous. Choi Seung isn't going anywhere. Give us some time, okay?"

He smiled. "Yeah."

#

"We have a lead in the case?" Steve asked as he came into the office.

Chin looked up from the table computer. Steve stopped across from him.

"Yeah."

"What is it?"

Chin smiled and walked around to him. He waited until they were facing each other.

"I know you want to close this case and get this guy off the streets, Steve. I do too. But there are some things you have to understand about this lead, okay?"

"Okay. What?"

Chin glanced at Kono's office. She sat on the couch with Lux still. Lux was talking, but she had a tight grip on Kono's hand with both of her hands. The girl was afraid, but she was being very brave despite that fear.

Steve looked at the two, then back at Chin.

"Lux is the lead?"

"She knows him." Chin said. "He took a special interest in her, and took it all the way. She's been in his house, knows all of his business fronts, how many people he has employed, and every place on the island he has weapons stashed. She even knows the next two weeks of his appointments."

"How can she know all that?"

"Turns out Lux is very gifted. Not only can she save a person's life with old-fashioned herbs or disappear from the world, but she also remembers almost everything she sees and hears. And when she realized we were trying to arrest Choi Seung, she opened up." Chin looked at the teenager. "She's telling Kono everything."

Steve smiled. "Guess we know who Danny wanted her protected from."

The men watched the two while they waited.


	5. Chapter 5

_Chapter 5_

**Hospital**  
**Honolulu**

Danny shuffled down the hall, pushing his I.V. post in front of him with one hand and gripping the wall rail with his other hand. He looked up when someone joined him and smiled at Steve.

"Chasing nurses?" Steve asked

"I'm trying, but they're too fast."

Steve smiled. "I'll get a wheelchair and help."

"Naw. I'll catch that cute brunette soon."

Steve nodded "We closed the Choi Seung case."

Danny stopped walking. "Lux told you about him, didn't she?"

"Yeah. Lux told us everything she knew and I was surprised it was so much. She has an amazing memory."

Danny started walking and Steve strolled alongside him. "She's brave. Did you find her parents?"

Steve shook his head. "They're dead, she's emancipated, and her aunt ran to Belize with Lux's inheritance."

"How much of an inheritance?"

"Lux was the daughter of Keiv van Johans, and when he and his wife died in that car accident last year, they left her with one point five billion," Steve answered. "Plus a lucrative import business and numerous property. She would have been set for life, so would her children, her grandchildren, and probably her great grandchildren."

"Would have?"

"Her aunt stole it all from her."

Danny stopped walking, staring at him.

"You're not going to let—"

Steve smiled. "Oh no. Her aunt isn't getting away with it. Kono is working on the extradition from Belize and when she gets to Hawaii, we have a judge more than happy to throw the entire law library at her. Kiev had friends in high places, apparently, and they're behind helping Lux get back her lifestyle even if none of them have offered her a place to stay or their own money."

Danny smiled at the sarcasm. "So she is going back to the streets. That is too bad. I'm sure whoever owns that land probably closed the shantytown down."

Steve chuckled, scratching his chin for a moment. "That is part of her very interesting story."

"What's that?"

"The land used to be a sugar cane plantation that belonged to Lux's great-great-great uncle."

Danny laughed a couple times and then stopped, wincing. "So she owns that land?"

"Yes. It doesn't have much value because of its location, which is probably why her aunt didn't steal it. So technically, Lux isn't homeless. She's living on her land and sharing it with people who are homeless."

Danny shook his head. "And you thought she was trying to kill me."

"The evidence appeared that way, so yes." Steve cut Danny's retort off. "I think you should talk her into turning that place into a residential community or commune. She's a native Hawaiian, and I'm sure many of those homeless are too. Then they can get farm animals in there and some state funds to maybe get some running water."

Danny stopped in the door of his room, staring at Steve. "Are you, Steve McGarrett, suggestion you want to _help_ the girl who was going to kill me?"

Steve started to answer.

"Because if that's what you're suggesting, I think it's a great idea. Find out how to make it happen and let's do it." Danny turned into his room.

Steve smiled. "I can do that." He followed Danny.

"It's going to mean work. Paperwork. You're going to have to do paperwork."

"You can do the paperwork."

"Nope. I'm going to build pens for the goats or whatever. You're doing the paperwork."

"You're going to… You can barely… Danny… You're flashing the world, Danny."

"Don't look."

"You need a tan."

"You know what… Go get me some Jell-O. Red. I like the red."

Steve laughed.

* * *

_The End_


End file.
